t minus 3 days

I am going to be 29 on Thursday. 2-9. Totally insignificant, right? Because next year's birthday is the one that really matters, right? No, not right. 2.9. 29. I am not 23 anymore. I am not 25 anymore. I feel like the last three birthdays were insignificant - with the exception of 28, my "Golden Birthday". Which in reality means nothing, it's just a fun thing to say. To be honest, the fact that last year was my "Golden Birthday" actually 100% distracted me from the fact that I was just one year closer to 30. I was so distracted in fact, I didn't realize that I had a piece of spinach in my teeth for most of it.

This year is different. I expected this birthday to mean nothing since next year's birthday is the one that really matters. Nope. For some reason, 29 is freaking me out. Annie just recently did a 30 before 30 List. I loved the idea, so I thought I'd do one too (then I saw that she has about 250 extra days to complete her list, so I already felt super behind and gave up). When I was 18, 30 seemed SO OLD, which would mean I am SO OLD because 29 rounded up is 30. I seriously feel like I went to sleep at 23 and woke up and here I am, about to be 29. All of a sudden, the last several years are a total blur and now I'm wishing I did a whole lot of things differently. For instance:

• I wish I didn't go tanning every day of my junior and senior year of highschool. 
• I wish I didn't put bacon gristle Hawaiian Tropic (SPF Negative1000) all over myself and lay out in the sun every summer between 1998-2006. 
• I wish I would have started moisturizing at 7 years old. 
• I wish I purchased eye cream at 8. 
• I wish I didn't pluck my perfectly bushy eyebrows pencil thin when I was 19, because they've been trying to grow back ever since.
• I wish I wouldn't have started shaving my legs at 10 years old because now my hair actually starts growing back before I even step out of the shower/bath tub. Perhaps I should have waited until it actually mattered. I am pretty sure John Otness didn't notice that in 5th grade. I'd hope not.
• I wish I would have never waxed my upper lip because it's my own fault I will be participating in Movember next month.

There are definitely things I want to accomplish this year and there are definitely wishes to make when I blow out my 29 candles on Thursday. While I can't tell you my wishes, I can guarantee you this: I won't have spinach in my teeth in any of the pictures.

PS - Thanks to the folks that celebrated with me last year - for letting me "smile big" for the camera all night. I thought we were closer than that.